Chapter 41
Ossan, meddles unnecessarily
The ravenous children had a tremendous appetite . They immediately plunged their hands into the meal in front of them without apprehension for any sort of table manners . They started stuffing themselves with food just like hyenas on a carcass . On the other hand, Kaede was eating quietly, giving off an aura of elegance from her demeanor .
The only thing that could be heard between Zeros, Luceris, and the orphans was the sound of the children single-mindedly filling their stomachs . There was no conversation at all .
“Well, how do I put it? They’re quite the wild children…”[Zeros]
“I apologize for their lack of education . ”
Perhaps feeling too abashed, Luceris inadvertently shrinks in her seat and hangs her head .
From the children’s point of view, they have always thought, “if you can eat, eat!” Before ending up in the orphanage, the four orphans who lived in the back alleys subconsciously developed a habit of eating greedily due to their hunger . It is said that one cannot fight a battle with an empty stomach, and these children seemed to have grasped said predicament instinctively .
“What do you guys usually play at? I don’t see you around when I’m doing farm work . ”
“We? Uork . ”
“Leean . Ho he ha…”
He couldn’t understand anything of what they were saying because they were storing food in their cheeks and talking at the same time as if they were hamsters or monkeys . When he glanced at Luceris, she gave him a wry smile while looking somewhat embarrassed .
“Lately, they’ve been going to clean the streets as part of the employment opportunities established out of charity by the feudal lord-sama . They receive a small amount of money, so they’re doing their best because they know the amount of pocket money they’ll get depends on the amount of trash they clean . ”
“I see . It’s a good way of encouraging them to be independent . They’ll end up as failures if they grow leeching off other people, right?”
“I heard that someone made a large donation and that that money is going towards these charity jobs . Also, that some adults were using their children and taking away the money they earned, and it seems they were made into criminal slaves in the end . ”
“How thorough . But, naturally, they would enforce such measures, right? Not only they were taking advantage of the feudal lord’s kindness, but they were also using children for that purpose, they couldn’t just let those poor excuses of human beings go with a slap on the wrist . ”
The money for said charity was donated by Zeros himself . He had given some ideas about it in the beginning, but it had completely slipped from his mind until now . This was probably because he had experienced firsthand useless people approaching him when he had extra money . He might have been doing it in particular to avoid the appearance of people like his sister . Zeros instinctively rejected the idea of having large amounts of money to an abnormal degree, growing to inadvertently keep only enough to maintain himself, which in a sense, it could be said to be a healthy life choice, however, he didn’t particularly save up much money either, therefore his savings were below the average person[1] . Even so, he was committed to living a modest life, as he seemingly had enough money to live as a commoner for several years, around seven to be specific, though unfortunately, the person in question wasn’t conscious of his pitiful disposition .
“It seems that several people have already been caught, interrogated, and made into slaves by now . Some of them even were parents drowning in alcohol that were reported by their children and then apprehended by the guards… I can’t believe people would abandon their parental responsibilities in such a way . ”[Luceris]
“Maybe they got into an accident at work, or their wives left them and they were desperate, who knows?”
“Still, for a child to have to report their own parents… It just feels wrong . ”
“They might have abandoned or abused their child . If you ask me, they got their just deserts if their child resented them for it, don’t you think?”
Luceris, who sincerely worries about other people’s filial relationships, and Zeros, who sees everything in an extremely cynical light . Her genuine kindness, while admirable for a priestess, becomes hypocrisy as long as she doesn’t do anything for the families in question, while on the other hand, Zeros saw tragedies unfolding everywhere whenever he looked at things with a pragmatical and philosophical view . He might appear to be cool-headed and logical, but he was merely an ailing realist .
“What do you guys want to be in the future?”[Zeros]
“Kaede is already teaching us how to wield a sword, you know∼? I’m gonna be super strong, save lots of money, and then do nothing but sleep all day∼”
“I’m gonna be a mercenary and go to dungeons . Then, I’m gonna save money∼ and get many wives, I wonder if ten would be a good number∼?”
“I’m aiming to get rich quick . That is a man’s greatest accomplishment . It will never come the day I become a useless man . [2]”
“Then, if we get money, we’ll get meat . For the sake of meat, we’ll work!”
They weren’t childlike at all . They had a high-risk high-return mentality, yet they were still faithful to their desires . In a sense, they were very strong, indomitable in spirit, even .
“Well, it’s fine to be mischievous . They are all growing strong, right?”[Zeros]
“Uu… I’m getting anxious for some reason . I feel like they will end up doing outrageous things someday…”[Luceris]
“I aspire to develop my skill with the sword and fight to the death with the strongest people around the world . A man cannot talk about honor without being strong . ”[Kaede]
“That sounds incredibly dangerou— wait, did you just say ‘fight to the death’!?” [Zeros]
The high elf samurai, who dreamed of following the way of the Evil Demons, showed a vicious smile, not childish and innocent in the slightest . Her future was undoubtedly bloody and fraught with danger unbecoming of a high elf, or rather, it was more akin to a dark elf’s .
“My family’s motto is: “When sparks scatter, even if you have to become an Evil Demon, you must uphold the spirit of the samurai in your blade . ’ The best way to train oneself is through real battles . ”
“What kind of samurai are you… I feel like you’ll end up walking down a path of bloodshed and carnage . ”
“If that is the way with which I can master the sword, then so be it . Swords are used for killing people after all . ”
“No, well, that’s not being a samurai anymore . That’s just being a manslayer[3] . ”
“That sounds fascinating in its own way . Going forward is not the only way to advance . Sometimes you need the bravery to break through the dark alleyways . ”
“You’re quite ‘wild’ I suppose . Though it would be sad to see you become a wanted criminal, you know?”
There was no point in saying anything more to a child who was already determined to tread down the path of bloodshed . He also wanted to talk to her parents about it, but he soon gave up the idea after realizing he would surely be challenged to a battle to the death the very instant they met . He predicted that they also would not be regular elves .
“Phrases like ‘I will leave no one to pick up my body[4],’ are not things a kid should be think—”
“A∼ah! Mister!”
The image of the corpse of the young Kaede laying abandoned and exposed to the elements came to his mind, and just when he was about to advise her to take better care of herself, a voice suddenly interrupted him . When he turned his head, he found Iris and the other two mercenary girls in her party, all of whom seemed to be rather worn out and battered…
“Jane!? What happened for you to end up looking like that?”[Luceris]
“I messed up… It was an extremely tough opponent and…… my precious brand-new sword ended up snapping in half . ”
“Eh? Your sword broke in a fight…? You’re not hurt or anything, right?”
“Yeah… sorry for worrying you . ”
It seemed like Luceris and Jane were acquainted with each other . Nevertheless, instead of poking his nose into other people’s business, he acted as if he were a mere bystander and focused on eating his bread . He was still concerned about the reddish-yellow bruises on their cheeks though…
“Mister, why are you eating with the sister? No, before that, do you guys know each other?”[Iris]
“I asked her and the children to give me a hand with the harvest, so I’m treating them to a meal as thanks . More importantly though, what in the world did you guys fight to end up so battered? Did you encounter a Dragon or something?”
“In a sense, it was like a Dragon, it went ‘Achaaa!’ like that, but…”
“A martial artist? Did you become bounty hunters?”
“No, that’s not what I mean… It was a Wild Cuckoo…”[5]
(*T . N: コッコ[cocco] is kind of a childish way of calling chickens . It’s a mimetic word, the equivalent of Cuckoo in English, so that’s why the name . )
The Wild Cuckoo might look like a chicken, but it is undeniably a monster . It has a low defensive power, but on the other hand, it is quick-witted and nimble, with its primary form of attack being its powerful kicks .
If it evolves, it can transform into a Cockatrice, but to reach that point, it must go through several evolutions, and therefore, it was still classified as a relatively weak monster . Its eggs are used for a plethora of delicious dishes, however, it is a monster famous for its violent temper, yet not one Iris and the other girls wouldn’t be able to defeat .
“Aren’t they just chickens?”
“They are . But they’re vicious…”
He held doubts about whether a bird capable of snapping a greatsword in half existed or not, nevertheless, Zeros was planning to raise chickens somewhere in the future . Though, considering that the domestic fowl he would be keeping were capable of mercilessly beating up mercenaries, he was forced to reconsider his poultry-raising plan .
“Are they really that vicious? Again, they’re just chickens, you know?”
“Yes, but they come in flocks and attack at the same time, so…”
“That sounds scary . Do they come to attack you like flocks of crows or something like that?”
“I wish it was like that! Those things aren’t just birds… they… they are creatures that also follow the way of the dragon…”[6]
(*T . N: Bruce Lee reference maybe?)
“A Kung Fu Bird? Well, this is a different world, so there are probably monsters like that, I guess . ”
“No, they aren’t like that! Those things were using nunchaku and waving three-section staffs around, you know?”[7]
“So they’re different…”
For some reason, a certain movie about a panda practicing kung fu flashed through his mind . Incidentally, the girls’ reddish-yellow bruises had a shape similar to a chicken’s paw, almost exactly like a Wild Cuckoo‘s one . Strange creatures seemed to exist in this otherworld .
Astonishingly mysterious fantasy worlds could bring forth outlandish beings that occasionally ignored the laws of nature . However, the fact that that was the norm in this world, or put in another way, its own natural providence, seemed to be headache-inducing to him . The existence of the Crazy Monkeys was particularly shocking .
“Even though it was my precious brand-new sword… it simply broke… Even mithril was used to make it…”
“Couldn’t it have been because the forging process was too sloppy and crude to handle mithril? Anyway, I find it hard to believe that such a heavy weapon you usually carry on your back would break that easily, though . ”
“I thought so too at first, Zeros-san… But, the Wild Cuckoo used【BREAKER KICK】, a weapon destruction technique, you know? It was definitely a variant species no matter how you look at it . ”
Rena’s comment proved she had a fairly high hand-to-hand combat ability . Weapon destruction techniques can only be learned after one has obtained the 【HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT MASTERY】 skill . When, later on, it transforms into 【HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT ONI】, it remains fundamentally the same but with the addition of the ability to produce a shockwave the instant the opponent’s weapon is destroyed, dealing direct damage .
In ORG, the lower the level, the weaker the skill . Even if the level of a certain skill increases, if the avatar’s level doesn’t rise accordingly, the skill will eventually stop growing . Though in reality, even at a low level [of the person/creature], said skill could still improve if one continues to train . This was the reality of this world: Even if a monster had a low level, its skills could be top-grade, therefore, their strength couldn’t be underestimated . In other words, the Wild Cuckoos had trained to that extent . Nevertheless, monsters, in general, would seldom train their skills that much .
“Are those wild monsters? There’s obviously something strange about them…”
“It seems that the requester is an ex-mercenary who used to raise them, but he couldn’t handle them anymore, so he placed a request to take care of them[or dispose them] . And, maybe because they were raised by people or because they understand words, they sensed that they might be killed, so they started some sort of revolt[8] . ”
“Did he get them to sell their eggs? I feel like you would need to be fairly skilled in hand-to-hand combat for that…”[Zeros]
“Because they always came to attack him all at once every time he wanted to collect their eggs, I guess they got stronger after fighting with him so many times . ”
It appears that as a result of environmental adaptation, they naturally developed their skills and became stronger than their owner . Even if they weren’t particularly strong individually, they can become a threat when they attack in numbers .
“I’ll have to work harder from now on, but… I don’t even know if I can afford a spare sword…”
“Please cheer up, Jane . You have to be glad that you’re still alive . ”[Luceris]
“But, I’m a mercenary, you know? I can’t work without having a decent weapon…”
Luceris was soothing the disheartened Jane whose sword had been broken . The work of a mercenary was not at all an easy one, and for the three low-ranked mercenaries girls, the extra expense was bound to have a big impact on their livelihood . Moreover, weapons and armor costed more money to send to repair than what they use for their living expenses . After having her brand-new sword destroyed right after getting it, there was nothing else to say to her except for “my condolences . ”
“Mister, is there anything you can do about it? I’m worried that she’s going to get depressed after her sword was broken…”
“She’s unexpectedly sensitive, huh? If you’d like, shall I repair it then? Though, if I’m going to work on it anyways, should I just remake it from scratch?”
“Really!? But I don’t have any money to pay you back, you know?”
“I will use the broken sword and a magic stone as the materials, so it’s not a big deal . What will you do?”
“Uuu… I’m grateful that you will repair it for free, but somehow it feels like I’m doing something bad…”
At first glance, Jane might seem like a strong-minded[or tomboyish] woman, but in reality, she was quite faint-hearted . She acts confident when there are people she’s acquainted with around, however, she seemed to be a fairly timid person on the inside . At least, timid enough to feel apprehension about accepting favors from other people .
“Don’t worry too much, it’s nothing much…… But, could you show me the broken sword for now, please?”
“Sure, but what are you going to do with just looking at it?”
Zeros was slightly concerned about something, so he decided to appraise the broken sword .
“Even if you say that it got destroyed, new swords usually just get a couple of nicks in the blade, but it’s hard to believe that it suddenly broke . Well, unless it was hit in the exact same spot many times over…”
“You’re saying that they intentionally cut corners when making it? The blade should have mithril in it, you know? I got the materials myself, after all . ”
“That’s even stranger . Even if it’s just has a tiny amount of mithril, one would need to hit it 20-30 more times with that kind of weapon-destroying technique to break it . To repair it, I would need to know how strong this sword really is . ”
“Alright…”
Jane drew the greatsword from the sheath on her back with the blade perfectly broken into two halves . He started to carefully appraise both parts and their center of gravity .
【GREATSWORD OF SCRAP IRON】
A greatsword made out of iron . (inferior . )
It’s a weapon that only has the appearance of possessing mithril .
Crudely forged, it is without a doubt less than a third-rate article .
With low durability that is no different from being non-existent, at worst, it can be broken into pieces by being hit with a weapon-destroying technique just once .
It doesn’t possess any additional abilities .
It’s a poorly made product that can only be used as a decoration .
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As a weapon, it is highly unreliable .
“This sword doesn’t contain any mithril, you know? In which workshop was this made? This is useless as a weapon and most likely a total failure of a sword… this is just too outrageous . ”
“No way! I’m completely sure that I brought them mithril… Right, Iris…?”
“Yeah, after she paid for it, I’m certain that the craftsman said, ‘we added the mithril to make it sturdier’ . ”
“Weren’t you just swindled? This is clearly a scam . It is completely useless as a weapon; you will die if you use this in a real fight . ”
The appraisal showed that it was a sword that could only be used as a mere decoration . And, given the situation, there was a high possibility that there were other victims .
“Back to the topic, though, which workshop made this?”
“Hmm… If I remember correctly, I think it was a workshop at the end of the craftsmen’s street… Fuck! That damned old man tricked me!”
““““What——!?””””
The mercenaries sitting behind them, stood up all at once . They were curious about the women-only party and so, they seemed to have been secretly listening to their conversation .
“Old man, you can use 【APPRAISAL】!? Please look at our weapons too!”
“Our weapons were made in that damned shop too!”
“Please examine ours! What you just said left us crazy worried . Our weapons are supposed to have mithril as well . ”
“In my case, it’s my shield and armor! I started getting worried, ‘what if mine too?’ and shit, please!”
“Well, I suppose I can…”
When he examined them, it turned out that, just like with Jane’s sword, their weapons and armors weren’t made by professional blacksmiths in a workshop, and they only were low-quality products made by people with only a fairly rudimentary knowledge in blacksmithing . Furthermore, mithril wasn’t used in any of the aforementioned pieces, contributing to their low value as equipment made to protect their bodies . It seemed likely that the rare metal that the mercenaries have been so desperately trying to gather was being sold behind the scenes .
“That fucking old man dared to pick a fight with me!”
“I’m gonna fucking kill that bastard!”
“I’mma kill him later . First, he’s gonna regret havin’ been born . ”
“Kukuku… I guess I have no choice but to deliver a very generous punishment…”
The mercenaries left the diner in a fit of anger . Naturally, they paid for their meals first, but they didn’t bother to hide their killing intent as they ran off .
“We should call the guards . That blacksmith is going to get killed at this rate . ”[Zeros]
“Seems so . Then, I’ll go call the guards . ”[Rena]
“Leave that to you, Rena . I’m gonna go to his weapons shop first . I won’t feel at ease unless I hit him a couple of times . ”
“I don’t feel safe on my own, so I’ll go with you, Jane . I’ll go around the back and block the blacksmith’s retreat so he can’t escape . ”[Iris]
Despite their weariness, the three of them also rushed out in a hurry .
“They have it hard∼…”[Zeros]
“Are you not going, Zeros-san?”[Luceris]
“Me? Why should I?”
“No matter how many crimes that person has committed, the way things are going, he is going to be killed . If someone doesn’t calm down and stop them, he won’t get the opportunity to repent for his crimes . And on the off chance that Jane kills someone…”
To Luceris, who was worrying about Jane and the girls, he wanted to say with a straight face, “Don’t want to, sounds like a pain,” but he buried those words deep inside his heart .
Jane had already killed other people as a mercenary, but she probably hasn’t told Luceris yet . Or rather, it might be that she can’t tell her .
He reluctantly stands up while heaving a sigh .
“I will pay the bill, so please take your time to finish your meals,” he said as he headed to the counter .
After paying, he released a familiar to follow after Iris and the others .
“Anyway, Wild Cuckoos, huh? Shall I try keeping some?”
He was more interested in the Wild Cuckoo, the bird that laid delicious eggs, than in the unknown blacksmith . And so, imagining what the eggs tasted like, this middle-aged uncle headed towards the weapons’ shop in question .
Following after Iris and the others, Zeros arrived at the craftsmen’s street . There was a diverse array of workshops-cum-stores selling things like handicrafts and tableware as well as weapons and armors, placed on both sides of the stone-paved street . Occasionally, a strange smell wafted about in the air, but he judged that it was probably just the leatherworking shops .
He had grasped the surrounding terrain from his familiar, so he smoothly went after Iris and the others who had gone around the back .
“There you are . Have you killed that blacksmith yet?”[Zeros]
“No, I’m not gonna kill him! I’m not that impulsive . ”[Jane]
“Mister, we don’t kill people even if we’re dealing with bandits…”[Iris]
“In this world, the value of a life is incredibly low; there will come a day when you will forced to kill someone, you know?”
Iris appeared to be still hesitant to kill another human being . Although it was the right stance to have as a decent person, in this world where the price of life was so low, and unfortunately for Iris, her resolution could only be said to be rather insufficient . Moreover, mercenaries would usually take escort-type requests as well, so if they were to go easy on bandits and they bear a grudge against said mercenaries, it was more than likely for the bandits to relentlessly aim for their necks afterwards .
Even if the mercenaries were specialized in monster-hunting, the bandits won’t show any concern for it and will attack regardless . If the mercenaries hesitate in taking their lives, it’s possible that they will be the ones to die instead . In reality, however, Zeros just wanted to tell them that they should at least steel their hearts to some extent given that they have already been caught by bandits before .
“Here is the back of the workshop, but… this alley is quite narrow, don’t you think?”[Zeros]
“The craftsmen probably don’t need the extra space given that this place is supposed to be used as a service entrance, still, I thought you said he was a reputable blacksmith…”[Iris]
“Did you perhaps place an order because you heard someone else recommending it? I assume you weren’t a regular customer of his, right?”
“We don’t settle down anywhere, so we aren’t regulars of any store . This bastard was probably going to set up shop on some other street by tomorrow anyway . ”[Jane]
“In that case, probably one of your fellow mercenaries spread the rumor . It’s likely that it was a scam to get rare metals from the mercenaries not quite familiar with the city . ”
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Rare metals like mithril are sold at very high prices . Just a palm-size clump would allow a farmer to live comfortably for a few years . Even if it is just a small nugget at first, as the amount increases, the weight will increase accordingly, and ultimately, so will the price . Moreover, because these rare metals were only mined in remote areas where monsters roamed freely, their price could vary greatly depending on the country .
“If sold in another country, the profits would be quite significant, right? I’m thinking it might also be the work of an underworld organization . ”[Zeros]
“I’m more worried about the mithril I handed over to him . Luckily, the Mercenaries’ Guild keeps records of the weights[9], so that swindler will almost definitely be caught if he comes back again . ”
(T . N: weights of the weapons or metals I suppose . )
“Jane… so you are more worried about the mithril than being scammed . ”[Iris]
“Obviously! Weapons are the lifelines of us, mercenaries, right? With a good weapon, your survival rate skyrockets!”
“Then you would end up as the prey of the usual opportunistic thief instead . It’s cheaper to steal that good weapon instead of making it yourself, after all . ”
Our middle-aged magician only stated a common opinion and yet the two girls were staring at him wide-eyed . Like that, Zeros picked up several pebbles from the back alley with a nonchalant air .
“Mister… What do you mean by that?”[Iris]
“But, probably no one would notice that a weapon has mithril in it, right?”[Jane]
“You can tell just by looking . The blade itself has a different shimmer to it, so these morally bankrupt people are bound to target you if they notice by chance that you’re carrying such a weapon . And naturally, if the one who’s carrying it happens to be a woman, they will target you in a different sense, right?”
Moral codes were only compelling within the confines of a village or town, but outside of them, it was a dog-eat-dog world . Iris’ sense of crisis was surprisingly low despite being in such a dangerous world . And likewise, Jane was also too unsuspecting for her own good .
“Think about it for a bit, Iris-san . This is no longer a game . Here in this harsh world, it’s actually over once you die, you know?”
“Uu… but, the thought of killing another person is a bit…”
“I’m not saying you have to enjoy taking human lives, alright? I’m just saying that you should keep in mind that someday you will have to kill to survive . In fact, I’ve killed bandits myself before . ”
“But, monsters and humans are different, though . Having killing intent towards monsters doesn’t mean I want to kill people…”
“I don’t think you have to be enslaved to that fact either . Just like humans, monsters are also living things, and we kill each other in order to survive . In the first place, what’s the point of hesitating against someone without a moral compass? They’re not different from beasts anyway, right?”[Zeros]
Hesitating in this dog-eat-dog only meant death . Iris was a bit afraid of Zeros after learning of his readiness to take another person’s life, even if they were judged to be enemies, and even despite the fact that he had found that resolve after being dropped in the middle of the Great Far-flung forest against his will . However, in this culturally undeveloped world, although it had a concept of morals, many races had a relatively low development of ethics .
Despite all of that, Zeros was still worried about Iris… well, it was probably nothing more than a friendship between two people from the same hometown…
“Hm? It seems those guys have already started . ”[Zeros]
The weapons shop in question was located in a place facing the city’s outer wall, and in the street, the bellows of the mercenaries that had complained earlier were echoing loudly .
“What the hell? Ain’t these just poorly-made pieces of crap? Give us our money back you lazy fuck!”
“It may look pretty, but you can’t use it for shit!”
“No way, you’re doing this shit to steal mithril?”
“The fuck is this, you fucking old man!”
“This is all bullshit! You guys, don’t go spewing these petty rumors, do y’all even have any proof?”
It seemed that the master of the workshop was not willing to admit any fault . On the contrary, not only was he unwilling, but he was acting as if he were the victim in this situation .
“Y’all saying that’s what the appraiser said? He’s obviously mistaken!”
“That sure sounds like you’re making excuses . I hope you’re prepared to get your ass kicked . ”
“That’s why I’m tellin’ you to show me the fucking proof!”
It wasn’t as if they couldn’t prove the claims . Certainly, the only way to see if the swords really were made with mithril is to melt them down, but nothing would prevent the blacksmith from escaping in the meantime .
“Aight, let’s call the guards here if you insist on that . You’ll be proven guilty if mithril doesn’t come out after melting this sword, you know?”
“Alright then, I’ll go call the guards . Don’t let this fucking old man go anywhere . ”
“There’s probably mithril hidden somewhere inside the workshop . Hopefully we’ll get it back once the guards show up . ”
“Ugh! Do what you want! But, when don’t find any mithril in my workshop, then y’all gonna be held responsible, you hear me!?”
The way he said it sounded as if there truly wasn’t any mithril inside, however, as that exchange was taking place, the back door of the workshop opened and four thug-like men came out, with two of them carrying a wooden crate between the two .
“I see . You were gonna take the evidence out from the back, right? I bet there’s mithril inside that crate!”[Zeros]
“You think I’m gonna let you!? Goddamned swindlers!”
“Shit! There were people in the back . There’s no other way around it, guys!”
“““Ohhh!!!”””
The men suddenly draw their knives and start running towards Zeros… however…
―――Chiiin!
With the sound of metal hitting the ground, a single man drops his knife . But that wasn’t all; the same sound is heard again and two more men get their knives flung away .
“Hii! W—What was that!?”
“It’s only a stone, you know? It’s a technique called【FINGER FLICK】, do you know about it?”
“Bastard! You’re a martial artist!?”
“Not at all, I’m just an inexperienced magician . ”
“No shit, where in the world can you find a magician skilled in hand-to-hand combat?”
“There’s one right here, though?”
… A long silence elapses .
“Seriously?”
“Finger flick… If I recall correctly… it’s a basic technique, isn’t it? The knives were sent flying with pretty impressive power . ”
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“I could’ve died if I had gotten hit in the head with that… I was just hired to do this for a couple coins, man . I give up, alright?”
“From my part, I don’t mind . Still, please decide quickly what will you all do . ”[Zeros]
The thug-looking men exchange glances with each other . In front of them there were a mysterious magician, a child, and a strong-looking beauty . They might be able to win against the two women, but they didn’t feel like they could win against the shady-looking magician .
“Y—You guys! Why the hell are you still here!?”
““““Ugh! That fucking old man””””
“Who’s a fucking old man!? Now, quickly, go deliver that shit!”
A robust old man came out from the back door and started yelling at the goons as soon as he saw them . He was a balding and money hungry-looking uncle .
“These guys blocked our way though, we can’t transport the package like this . ”
“Hm?”
The balding old man glares at Zeros and the girls, and clicks his tongue .
“Y’all better get out of the way, that crate has to be delivered to the feudal lord-sama, you know? Y’all gonna be punished if you interfere . ”
“The feudal lord-sama? Oh, then I can just deliver it to him in your stead . Luckily, I’m acquainted with him, so it won’t cost you a single extra penny, you know?”
“The fuck you’re saying? There’s no way the feudal lord-sama is acquainted with such a suspicious magician!”
“Nevertheless, I still am, you see . If you like, why don’t we go ask Creston-san, the former lord instead? I live in the neighborhood, so I can show you around . ”
The moment the name of the 【Magician of the Purgatory】was mentioned, the old man’s complexion grew pale . He never expected to find someone who would call the former lord with ‘san’ in such a place . With that, he realized he got caught up in his own lie and dug his own grave .
“You thought you could cut your way through by saying that you were carrying out a request from the feudal lord, but… that plan was too naive . Falsely using the feudal lord’s name is a crime, you know? You made a mistake, you put yourself in a bad position by lying on the spur of the moment without confirming if the other person actually was actually involved with the feudal lord . ”[10]
“I—I ain’t lying! If I remember correctly, it was the Solisthea Firm’s…”
“Then, it’s fine if I deliver it for you, right? Good thing I’m acquainted with DelSasis-dono, I’ll send your regards to him, alright?”
If the man were truly contracted by the feudal lord, it would be suspicious if he were to reject Zeros here . However, he couldn’t let go of the package .
“I—It’s a magic tool! It’s extremely dangerous unless you’re trained to handle them!”
“No need to worry, then . I’ve made hundreds of dangerous magic tools myself, so I’m quite familiar with how to handle them, just leave it to me . ”
“Ahh∼ If it’s you, Mister, then that’s probably accurate . They’re probably super crazy[yabai]…”[Iris]
“I actually made them, you know? It blew up a couple hundreds of people during a raid, though… That was quite exhilarating . The angry guild master turned into a shooting star for a moment there . Sadly, thanks to that I became quite infamous…”
“Oh, so that’s how your nickname became so famous, I see! That aside, though, isn’t it weird that a blacksmith has a magic tool like that?”
Iris was strangely easily convinced by the origin of Zeros’ “Annihilator” moniker .
It was also true that he had countless of those so-called “super crazy”[yabai] magic tools sealed away in his inventory . Those dangerous articles were also reconstructed when he was reincarnated into this world . Naturally, he had no purpose for those things .
The bald old man, who was getting bogged down in the mire every time he spit a new lie, was growing impatient . But, as if aiming for that moment, Zeros flings a pebbles towards the wooden crate .
―――Bago!
With a loud sound, the wooden crate was broken and its fragments scattered in every direction along with countless fragments of metallic ores . These ores contained fragments of a white-silver metal .
“Mithril ore… Were you planning to transport the ores you swindled out of the mercenaries?”[Zeros]
“You motherfucker… You’ve fucked it all!! Now those bastards are gonna kill me!”
“That’s not my problem . You are the moron who failed miserably, right? Well, you’ll be sent to prison anyway . ”[Zeros]
The balding old man had no longer a way out of the situation . Even if he managed to escape, his employer would probably not forgive him . Zeros could already predict that he would be dealt with before he could say anything unnecessary .
Backed into a corner, the man notices one of the knives on the ground, picks it up quickly, and lunges towards Zeros .
“Bastaaard!! Out of my wayyy!!!”
Zeros grabs the man’s arm which was pushed forward holding the knife, and then seizes his shoulder in order to not kill his momentum, while simultaneously using his lower back like a spring to hurl the man away . With a magnificent one-armed shoulder throw, the balding old man’s back slammed against the stone-paved ground with great vigor . Without a moment’s delay, Zeros drove a palm heel strike into the solar plexus of the immobilized man, who passed out without even making a sound .
“Are the guards still not here…?”[Zeros]
Ignoring the fainted old man, Zeros takes a cigarette out of his pocket and lights it up after putting it in his mouth . The white smoke drifting down the back alley was quietly swept away by the wind .
“What the hell did I come here for…?”[Jane]
“Jane… You came to get the mithril back, right? Well, it’s a shame that you didn’t get a turn, but don’t think about it too much, it’s just that Mister is way too strong, you know?”[Iris]
“By the way, Iris-san, could you tell me where were the Wild Cuckoos you girls failed to subjugate?”
“Are you planning to defeat those Wild Cuckoos, Mister? They’re really strong, you know?”
“No, I was just thinking about keeping them . I hear the eggs are delicious . ”
Now that he had obtained rice, this middle-aged uncle was after the delicious eggs next . Since it would take too long to make Japanese sake, he sets out in search of the TKG[tamago kake gohan] . However, he seems to be forgetting that he needs soy sauce to make TKG…
After that, the guards brought by Rena apprehended and took away the self-proclaimed blacksmith .
The thug-looking men were simply hired goons and were not informed of the contents of the cargo they were paid to transport, therefore, it took several days before they were released . They seem to have believed that the cargo was a dangerous article to some extent, but they still needed the money to make a living .
According to the investigation, the balding old man was just a low-ranking member of an underworld organization that was planning to raise funds by way of getting mithril through scams . And so, a few days later, the people involved in said organization were captured and wiped off of the streets of Santhor in one sweep motion .
It seems to have been a surprisingly big organization, and so, the sudden decrease of criminal groups from this city abound with merchants seems to have greatly improved the public order . Moreover, their bases in other cities started being investigated to some extent, and with simultaneous investigations beginning in other territories, their fundraising operations disappeared all at once, inflicting a major blow to the criminal organization itself .
Zeros and the mercenaries that participated in that incident received the bounty and got their pockets swollen to the point that they didn’t need to worry about working for a while .
Such a middle-aged old man was listlessly smoking a cigarette today .